In the Middle East, there is a country smaller than many cities on the mainland, but it is the richest country in Asia, with a per capita GDP of 62,000 US dollars, this country is Qatar, so what kind of country is Qatar? Why is it so rich?
Located on the Qatar Peninsula on the southwestern coast of the Persian Gulf, Qatar is an Arab country in western Asia, with a territory of about 11,500 square kilometers and a population of 2.88 million. It borders Saudi Arabia to the south, while the remaining three sides are surrounded by the Persian Gulf and across the sea from Middle Eastern countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Iraq, and Kuwait.
Qatar is an ancient country with a long history, like other countries in the Middle East, historically part of the Arab Empire, Qatar was annexed by Portugal in 1517, and by the mid-to-late 16th century, Qatar was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire and ruled by Turkey for about 200 years, and then until Sani Ben Muhammad established the Emirate of Qatar, in 1882, the British invaded Qatar and forced Qatar to sign a slave treaty, and in 1916, Qatar was officially listed as British." It was not until the end of World War II that Qatar declared its statehood in 1971 and officially became a sovereign and independent state.
Qatar is relatively flat, its land is mostly covered by sandy deserts, here is one of the driest regions on the earth, belongs to the tropical desert climate, hot and dry hot wind blowing all year round, the maximum temperature in summer can reach about 45 °C, the winter temperature is also about 20 °C, the average annual precipitation is only 75 mm, the four seasons are not very obvious.
Qatar, one of the richest countries in the world, has a total GDP of $179.6 billion in 2021 and a staggering GDP per capita of $62,000. The oil-rich region of Qatar is also dominated by oil and natural gas, rich in oil and gas reserves, and is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of liquefied natural gas. As a result, Qatar has become one of the richest countries in the world. However, since the domestic industry and manufacturing industry have not yet reached the level of development, Qatar cannot be recognized as a developed country.
Due to the drought and lack of rainfall and the extreme scarcity of fresh water in Qatar, gasoline is cheaper than water. In addition, due to the small size of the country and the very small arable land, grain, vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs and milk are mainly imported, and only the output of fish, shrimp and seafood can basically meet the domestic demand.
Qatar is an Islamic country with a permanent population of more than 2.8 million, of which only 15% are Qatari citizens, and most of the foreign people come from India, Pakistan and Southeast Asia. Doha, the capital of Qatar, is one of the country's largest and only cities, and it is home to about 60% of the country's population.
As a famous port city on the coast of the Persian Gulf, Doha is not only the political, economic and cultural center of the country, but also a metropolis with international characteristics, attracting the attention of countless people. Before World War II, Doha was a small town dominated by fish and shrimp, but with the discovery of oil and gas after World War II, the modern city has been revitalized. However, as the country's domestic oil industry boomed, the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Qatar became so delicate that Saudi Arabia dug a canal that pushed Qatar into a country surrounded by sea.
Qatar, one of the top three countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita with a very high human development index, not only has a free policy in health, education and agricultural cultivation, but also has set its sights on emerging industries such as services, tourism and finance due to the exhaustion of non-renewable resources such as oil and gas, to avoid the risks of over-reliance on the oil and gas industry.
At the same time, the government has adopted a series of measures to encourage domestic enterprises to invest overseas, and has achieved remarkable results. With the passage of time, Qatar's national strength and people's living standards have continued to rise, and various undertakings have flourished, showing a vigorous development trend.